Source: Leeds will be 'embarrassed' as details of Llorente injury emerge
Leeds United staff will be "embarrassed" that Diego Llorente has broken down with yet another hamstring injury, an injury prevention source has told Football Insider.
The Spain international, 28, was withdrawn after just 33 minutes of yesterday's 2-0 defeat to Liverpool following his latest breakdown.
It is the third time in just 17 Premier League matches for Leeds he has failed to complete it due to a hamstring injury.
"That does not reflect well on Leeds or their staff," an injury prevention expert who has worked for Premier League clubs told Football Insider last night.
"The job of the staff - the fitness, conditioning, sports science guys - is to get the players fit to play and keep them out there.
"There are some injuries you can't legislate for, like the Harvey Elliott one today, but top athletes should not be breaking down with muscle injuries in the first half of matches.
"It means they are being overloaded in training, over-worked or not warming up and preparing properly.
"Something has gone wrong somewhere and Leeds will be embarrassed it has happened again to Llorente.
"Everyone will look from the outside and think he is 'injury prone' but it is more complex than that.
"Ultimately it is the manager's decision on whether he thinks players are fit to play, and once they're selected they should not be pulling hamstrings in the first half."
Llorente, who joined Leeds from Real Sociedad for £18million in the summer of 2020, was making just his 18th appearance for the club yesterday and his 17th in the league.
He suffered his first hamstring on his debut against Chelsea last December, and then broke down 10 minutes into his comeback on 26 January against Newcastle.
In Spain, Llorente was not regarded as an injury-prone player and regularly played 30-plus games a season.